The major focus of Jun Wang’s lab is the design and synthesis of medical biomaterials, the preparation and optimization of anti-tumor nanocarriers as well as the study on tumor microenvironment regulation and tumor therapy. Our research is centered on the following aspects:

1. Controlled synthesis of biodegradable polymers and preparation of polymeric nanocarriers

We have long been committed to the controlled synthesis of biomedical polymers, especially the biodegradable polyester polymers. We managed to solve the difficulties in controlled synthesis and performance regulation of polyphosphoesters using ring-opening polymerization. We have also successfully optimized a variety of biomaterials includingpolyethylene glycol-b-polylactic acid ,poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) with functional linkers. To fabricate drug delivery systems, several strategies and methods have been developed including dialysis, nanoprecipitation , single/double emulsification and the thin-film hydration method, allowing flexible assembly of diverse polymeric materials and pharmaceuticals.

2. Nanomedicines based on tumor microenvironment regulation

Considering the close relationship between the tumor microenvironment and the occurrence and progression of malignant tumors, regulation of the tumor microenvironment holds a promising future for effective control or cure of cancer. Our research is focusing on the study of nanomaterials and nanomedicines that improve the tumor physical microenvironment, usually featuring by low pH, hypoxia and interstitial hypertension, and those nanomaterials and nanomedicines which can regulate the tumor immune microenvironment by affecting the number and proportion of the infiltrating immune cells or changing the secretion of signal molecules like chemokines and cytokines. Additionally, we are interested in developing nano-formulations that target the tumor associated immune cells or tumor microenvironment, to deliver diverse therapeutics involving antibodies, small-molecular inhibitors, vaccines, immunoadjuvants, nucleic acids and CRISPR/Cas 9 systems. These formulations are aimed to restore the function of tumor associated immune cells and boost the immune response against tumor. Besides, we are continuing to explore novel strategies for cancer stem cell(CSC) therapy, because  CSCs are well known to be responsible for the origin, metastasis and recurrence of cancers. Multifunctional nanocarriers have been designed to block their vital self-renewal signaling, to suppress drug resistance development, or to    synchronously target both cancer cells and CSCs through co-delivery of two or more drugs.

3. Tumor microenvironment responsive drug delivery systems

One of our major interests is to develop tumor microenvironment-responsive nano-carriers to overcome various barriers in physiological conditions. Ideal nanomedicines need to achieve long circulation time, high tumor accumulation and penetration, enhanced cell uptake and sufficient drug release in the cytosol. We take the advantage of the slightly acidic microenvironment in tumors and have established a series of nano-drug delivery systems to improve anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy. (1) Nanoparticles were fabricated of which the negative surface potential can be reversed to positive due to the acidic pH in solid tumor, significantly enhancing the interaction of nanoparticles with tumor cells and improving the uptake by tumor cells. (2) Ternary sheddable nanoparticles were generated based on charge interactions which were shielded by PEGylated polymers to minimize non-specific interactions during circulation. Upon reaching the tumor tissue, the PEG layer detached from the nanoparticles, which consequentially attenuated the undesirable effects on the reduced uptake of nano-drugs and hence promoted the internalization in tumor cells. (3) We further designed tumor acidity-responsive clustered nanoparticles and justified their adaptive alterations into small PAMAM prodrugs (~5 nm) in accordance with the tumor microenvironment, exhibiting a deeper and uniform tumor penetration to reach more cancer cells. Besides, this system was capable of spatially deliver different drugs to two types of cells, regulating the tumor microenvironment and killing the tumor cells at the same time.

The major focus of Jun Wang’s lab is the design and synthesis of medical biomaterials, the preparation and optimization of anti-tumor nanocarriers as well as the study on tumor microenvironment regulation and tumor therapy. Our research is centered on the following aspects:

1. Controlled synthesis of biodegradable polymers and preparation of polymeric nanocarriers

We have long been committed to the controlled synthesis of biomedical polymers, especially the biodegradable polyester polymers. We managed to solve the difficulties in controlled synthesis and performance regulation of polyphosphoesters using ring-opening polymerization. We have also successfully optimized a variety of biomaterials includingpolyethylene glycol-b-polylactic acid ,poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) with functional linkers. To fabricate drug delivery systems, several strategies and methods have been developed including dialysis, nanoprecipitation , single/double emulsification and the thin-film hydration method, allowing flexible assembly of diverse polymeric materials and pharmaceuticals.

2. Nanomedicines based on tumor microenvironment regulation

Considering the close relationship between the tumor microenvironment and the occurrence and progression of malignant tumors, regulation of the tumor microenvironment holds a promising future for effective control or cure of cancer. Our research is focusing on the study of nanomaterials and nanomedicines that improve the tumor physical microenvironment, usually featuring by low pH, hypoxia and interstitial hypertension, and those nanomaterials and nanomedicines which can regulate the tumor immune microenvironment by affecting the number and proportion of the infiltrating immune cells or changing the secretion of signal molecules like chemokines and cytokines. Additionally, we are interested in developing nano-formulations that target the tumor associated immune cells or tumor microenvironment, to deliver diverse therapeutics involving antibodies, small-molecular inhibitors, vaccines, immunoadjuvants, nucleic acids and CRISPR/Cas 9 systems. These formulations are aimed to restore the function of tumor associated immune cells and boost the immune response against tumor. Besides, we are continuing to explore novel strategies for cancer stem cell(CSC) therapy, because  CSCs are well known to be responsible for the origin, metastasis and recurrence of cancers. Multifunctional nanocarriers have been designed to block their vital self-renewal signaling, to suppress drug resistance development, or to    synchronously target both cancer cells and CSCs through co-delivery of two or more drugs.

3. Tumor microenvironment responsive drug delivery systems

One of our major interests is to develop tumor microenvironment-responsive nano-carriers to overcome various barriers in physiological conditions. Ideal nanomedicines need to achieve long circulation time, high tumor accumulation and penetration, enhanced cell uptake and sufficient drug release in the cytosol. We take the advantage of the slightly acidic microenvironment in tumors and have established a series of nano-drug delivery systems to improve anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy. (1) Nanoparticles were fabricated of which the negative surface potential can be reversed to positive due to the acidic pH in solid tumor, significantly enhancing the interaction of nanoparticles with tumor cells and improving the uptake by tumor cells. (2) Ternary sheddable nanoparticles were generated based on charge interactions which were shielded by PEGylated polymers to minimize non-specific interactions during circulation. Upon reaching the tumor tissue, the PEG layer detached from the nanoparticles, which consequentially attenuated the undesirable effects on the reduced uptake of nano-drugs and hence promoted the internalization in tumor cells. (3) We further designed tumor acidity-responsive clustered nanoparticles and justified their adaptive alterations into small PAMAM prodrugs (~5 nm) in accordance with the tumor microenvironment, exhibiting a deeper and uniform tumor penetration to reach more cancer cells. Besides, this system was capable of spatially deliver different drugs to two types of cells, regulating the tumor microenvironment and killing the tumor cells at the same time.